Aggregate stability and susceptibility to erosion of some highly weathered soils in peninsular Malaysia

H. Ghulam Mohammed

Abstract

Although the highly weathered soils of the humid tropics are generally thought of as well-aggregated soils, there are important differences in aggregate characteristics among them. These
influence their susceptibility to erosion. In the group of soils under study, the results highlighted two factors which are essential for high stability: a sufficiently high clay content and a relatively high organic matter to clay ratio. Simulated rainfall of one-hour duration at 35 mm/h caused splash erosion on all series of soils, but to a much greater degree on the less stable ones, Munchong I and Bungor. Successive rainstorms increased soil splash considerably on the less stable soils, but produced negligible increases on the more stable ones, Kuantan and Rengam series. The stable soils did not suffer dispersion under the conditions of this experiment.

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